Let’s Get Bucked Again: Wizards vs. Milwaukee

Hey! James Singleton made the Game Time cover!

Ok, almost the same drill as when these two teams played on Wednesday.
My three keys (for what they are worth):

The Wizards need to match Milwaukee’s intensity on defense. Good luck.

Flip Saunders’ squad is not an offensive juggernaut, clearly, and that’s why they need to take care of the ball.

Please, someone score of the bench. Dare I say this is a breakout night for Nick Young? (only to be, perhaps, followed by more stretches of futility)

In other news …

The Wizards are pushing for their season ticket holders to renew their plans. They’ve already put out a letter from Flip Saunders. Tonight, most of the Verizon Center personnel are wearing t-shirts telling plan holders where they can renew.

“For the fans, for the future.”

…is the motto I’m told.

Jerry Stackhouse just had to mention something about a curse … somewhere, Tony Kornheiser is aroused.

In his final season in Washington, Stackhouse was limited to just 26 games after struggling to come back from a knee injury. “It’s like, I don’t want to say it’s a curse, but tough things happen to people when they go to that city, as far as injuries.”

And now, Arenas with a fur coat:

TOP QUOTES: Wizards vs. Bucks Part 1 – 3/3/10

We failed in part because of sloppiness and in part because of a lack of options. Personally, I’d argue the latter caused the former. Did we make a bunch of dumb passes and poor decisions? Of course we did. However, as of right now, the Wizards don’t have anyone who can break a defense down off the dribble. If you do, then you can combat Milwaukee’s ball pressure, but the Wizards just don’t. Randy Foye can’t do it, Earl Boykins can’t do it, and Andray Blatche certainly can’t do it.
-Mike Prada, Bullets Forever

Mike Miller had just three points on 1 of 3 shooting, which isn’t usual for him, since he hasn’t been assertive offensively most of the season. Even after the trades, and with most of the scoring punch dealt elsewhere, Miller has only taken 10 shots on one occasion (against New York).

[…]

“Our starters never got into, as far as Mike and Al,” Coach Flip Saunders said in a brief, 69-second post-game interview. “Those guys did not have great practices the last two days. We practiced the way we played.”
-Michael Lee, Wizards Insider

The Wizards turned the ball over on 22 percent of their possessions, and that’s exactly what Milwaukee is after.
-Kelly Dwyer, Ball Don’t Lie

Wait, the Bucks won by 13 points, forced 21 turnovers, shot and made more free throws than their opponent, hit 47.5% of their shots and aren’t happy with their effort? Is this for real? What were the odds of such a scenario at the start of the season? That’s the reality the Bucks are currently living in though, and it’s delightful.
-Jeremy Schmidt, Bucksketball

This game wasn’t drab, but it certainly wasn’t spectacular. The Bucks won the first quarter, won the second quarter, and won the game in the third quarter. Yet another crushing defensive display clinched it, as Milwaukee held Washington scoreless for more than five minutes and forty seconds during the third.

John Salmons and Jerry Stackhouse, and John Hammond for that matter, starred again. With them, the Bucks were able to overcome mediocre games by three of the most important starters (Bogut, Jennings, Mbah a Moute) to not only win, but win easily. Without them, I shudder to picture the possibilities.
-Alex Boeder, Brew Hoop

MVP: Ersan Ilyasova
Ersan didn’t take his first three pointer until the seven minute mark in the second quarter, and it was the best thing that happened to him. Ersan took his first seven shots within 18 feet, and connected on five of them. Working the ball inside, Ersan was able to establish his duel-threat ability without having to attempt a three, and had a season-high six assists to show for it.
-Jake McCormick, The Sports Bank.net

TOP LINKS:

Mike Jones states that the Wizards are still waiting on Nick Young. [CSN Washington]

But evidently Twitter no longer has to wait on Young, @N1ckY0ung is in full effect. Although, there has yet to be any confirmation that it’s actually him.

Speaking of Nick, he once wore a perhaps real fur coat that might have once belonged to Gilbert Arenas who recent claimed that he’s never owned fur. Exactly. Just read. [DC Sports Bog]

Sponsored Links

Sponsored Links

About TAI

Truth About It.net, Washington Wizards Blog, ESPN TrueHoop Network -- Following the D.C. pro basketball franchise since the 90s and covering them in blog form since 2007 -- Opinion, Analysis, Irreverence, Pictures, Video, Interviews, Photoshops, News, Video, Quotes, Shares, and all the pixels about the Washington Wizards you can imagine.